The Wycliffe New Testament (1388): An Edition in Modern Spelling, with an Introduction, the Original Prologues and the Epistle to the LaodiceansW. R. Cooper John Wycliffe didn't actually translate the Bible that is named after him, although he helped in the production of the first attempt. It was in fact translated by followers of his, and the text of this volume, known as Wycliffe B, appeared in 1388, four years after Wycliffe's death. But John Wycliffe's preaching and writing certainly inspired the translation of the Bible from the Latin Vulgate into English, and the impact of the translation was so great that within a decade of publication a law was passed comdemning anyone caught reading it, to death. Despite this, the Wycliffe Bible was read by thousands, and even after the advent of printing, handwritten copies of it were still cherished. What caused it to fall into disuse was not just its high cost compared to the new printed Bibles, but the great changes in the English language from 1400 onwards. This edition of the Wycliffe Bible has been produced in a modern spelling edition, so that readers can enjoy reading this text for themselves. |
Common terms and phrases
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